North Texas craft beer craze

It seems that everywhere you go everyone is making a big deal about Texas beers. Remember when it just used to be Shiner? Now we have Lakewood, Franconia, and Firewheel, just to name a few. It seems to be hundreds of breweries!

What happened?

In 2013, Texas changed it's brewery laws. Now small breweries can sell their beer in their tasting rooms and beer gardens, and brew pubs call sell to distributors. In short, brewers can now make money on their beer. Also, the local food movement is making consumers aware of where their food (and beverages) are coming from. People love supporting local food, making Texas beers a better buy.

Consumers are also getting into the game by "homebrewing," or making their own beer at home. And yes, it's totally legal. My husband does it at home, and it's pretty cool to turn $75 worth of ingredients into 5 gallons of beer. That's pretty awesome bang for your dollar.

If you would like, there was a an interview on Think about the North Texas craft beer craze and it highlights some local breweries. Most of them have tours on the weekends and *glee* samples.

Mr. Mayo's Raspberry Chocolate Stout